Pierced by gate spike

A retired bank official was fatally impaled by an iron spike on the front gate of his Haridevpur house after he fell off the second-floor terrace on Thursday morning.

Police said they were yet to ascertain whether Dilip Sarkar, 64, fell accidentally or jumped. No suicide note has been found.

“Neighbours who rushed to Sarkar’s house after hearing a loud thud found him writhing in pain. He was trapped on the iron gate of his house, one of the spikes having pierced him,” said an officer.

“He was rushed to hospital, where he died.”

His wife and daughter, who studies in Italy but is now in Calcutta, were in the MG Road house when the incident happened, the police said. Sarkar’s son works in the US.

The police found Sarkar’s spectacles on the ground near the gate. “He had his morning tea before going upstairs. Family members said the terrace door was usually locked. None in the house had seen Sarkar fetching the key to the terrace door,” said the officer.

Sarkar, who retired as manager of the Dalhousie branch of a nationalised bank, was working with a private bank till a few months ago, the police said.

An unnatural death case has been registered at Haridevpur police station. “We will try to find out whether he was upset for some reason. It could have been an accident as well. Till now, we have not detected any foul play,” said an officer of the south-west division.